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Primary Source 5.6
FRANCIS PRETTY
SIR FRANCIS DRAKE’S FAMOUS VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD (1580)1
Francis Pretty was a sailor in the crew of British explorer and privateer Sir Francis Drake,
who circumvented the world between 1587 and 1580. Pretty’s record of the voyage helps shed
light on the adventures Western explorers undertook to better understand the world.
Although the voyage was partially motivated by competition with the Spanish Empire, as
evidenced by the fleet’s raids on Spanish-controlled territories during the expedition, the
details used to describe the various lands explored reveal the sailors’ interest in exploring the
world.
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Here2 [in January 1578 we gave ourselves a little refreshing, as by very ripe and
sweet grapes, which the fruitfulness of the earth at that season of the year yielded us; and
that season being with us the depth of winter, it may seem strange that those fruits were
then there growing. But the reason thereof is this, because they being between the tropic
and the equinoctial, the sun passeth twice in the year through their zenith over their heads,
by means whereof they have two summers; and being so near the heat of the line they
never lose the heat of the sun so much, but the fruits have their increase and continuance in
the midst of winter. The island is wonderfully stored with goats and wild hens; and it hath
salt also, without labour, save only that the people gather it into heaps; which continually in
greater quantity is increased upon the sands by the flowing of the sea, and the receiving
heat of the sun kerning the same. So that of the increase thereof they keep a continual
traffic with their neighbours.
Amongst other things we found here a kind of fruit called cocos, which because it is
not commonly known with us in England, I thought good to make some description of it.
The tree beareth no leaves nor branches, but at the very top the fruit groweth in clusters,
hard at the top of the stem of the tree, as big every several fruit as a man's head; but having
taken off the uttermost bark, which you shall find to be very full of strings or sinews, as I
may term them, you shall come to a hard shell, which may hold in quantity of liquor a pint
commonly, or some a quart, and some less. Within that shell, of the thickness of half-aninch good, you shall have a kind of hard substance and very white, no less good and sweet
than almonds; within that again, a certain clear liquor, which being drunk, you shall not
only find it very delicate and sweet, but most comfortable and cordial.
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Being departed from these islands, we drew towards the line, where we were
becalmed the space of three weeks, but yet subject to divers great storms, terrible
Francis Pretty, Sir Francis Drake’s Famous Voyage Round the World, in Voyages and Travels: Ancient and
Modern, vol. 33 of the Harvard Classics, (Ed.) Charles W. Elliot (New York: P. F. Collier and Son, 1910), 209-11,
215-16, 222-23, 225-26.
2 The island Mayo in Cape Verde, an archipelago of islands off the West African coast.
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lightnings and much thunder. But with this misery we had the commodity of great store of
fish, as dolphins, bonitos,3 and flying-fishes, whereof some fell into our ships; wherehence
they could not rise again for want of moisture, for when their wings are dry they cannot fly.
From the first day of our departure from the islands of Cape Verde, we sailed 54 days
without sight of land. And the first land that we fell with was the coast of Brazil, which we
saw the fifth of April, in the height of 33 degrees towards the pole Antarctic. . . .
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The 17. day of August we departed the port of St Julian,4 and the 20. day we fell with
the Strait of Magellan,5 going into the South Sea; at the cape or headland whereof we found
the body of a dead man, whose flesh was clean consumed. The 21. day we entered the Strait,
which we found to have many turnings, and as it were shuttings-up, as if there were no
passage at all. By means whereof we had the wind often against us; so that some of the fleet
recovering a cape or point of land, others should be forced to turn back again, and to come
to an anchor where they could. In this Strait there be many fair harbours, with store of
fresh water. But yet they lack their best commodity, for the water there is of such depth,
that no man shall find ground to anchor in, except it be in some narrow river or corner, or
between some rocks; so that if any extreme blasts or contrary winds do come, whereunto
the place is much subject, it carrieth with it no small danger. The land on both sides is very
huge and mountainous; the lower mountains whereof, although they be monstrous and
wonderful to look upon for their height, yet there are others which in height exceed them in
a strange manner, reaching themselves above their fellows so high, that between them did
appear three regions of clouds. These mountains are covered with snow. At both the
southerly and easterly parts of the Strait there are islands, among which the sea hath his
indraught into the Straits, even as it hath in the main entrance of the frete.6 This Strait is
extreme cold, with frost and snow continually; the trees seem to stoop with the burden of
the weather, and yet are green continually, and many good and sweet herbs do very
plentifully grow and increase under them. The breadth of the Strait is in some places a
league, in some other places two leagues and three leagues, and in some other four leagues;
but the narrowest place hath a league over.
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The fifth of June [1579], being in 43 degrees towards the pole Arctic, we found the
air so cold, that our men being grievously pinched with the same, complained of the
extremity thereof; and the further we went, the more the cold increased upon us.
Whereupon we thought it best for that time to seek the land, and did so; finding it not
mountainous, but low plain land, till we came within 38 degrees towards the line. In which
height it pleased God to send us into a fair and good bay, with a good wind to enter the
same. In this bay we anchored; and the people of the country, having their houses close by
the water's side, shewed themselves unto us, and sent a present to our General. When they
came unto us, they greatly wondered at the things that we brought. But our General,
according to his natural and accustomed humanity, courteously intreated them, and
liberally bestowed on them necessary things to cover their nakedness; whereupon they
A species of fish.
A harbor near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
5 Strait between South America and Antarctica that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
6 Strait.
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supposed us to be gods, and would not be persuaded to the contrary. The presents which
they sent to our General, were feathers, and cauls of network. Their houses are digged
round about with earth, and have from the uttermost brims of the circle, clifts of wood set
upon them, joining close together at the top like a spire steeple, which by reason of that
closeness are very warm. Their bed is the ground with rushes strowed on it; and lying
about the house, [they] have the fire in the midst. The men go naked; the women take
bulrushes, and kemb7 them after the manner of hemp, and thereof make their loose
garments, which being knit about their middles, hang down about their hips, having also
about their shoulders a skin of deer, with the hair upon it. These women are very obedient
and serviceable to their husbands.
. . . In the fore-front was a man of a goodly personage, who bare the sceptre or mace
before the king; whereupon hanged two crowns, less and a bigger, with three chains of
marvellous length. The crowns were made of knit work, wrought artificially with feathers
of divers colours. The chains were made of a bony substance, and few be the persons
among them that are admitted to wear them; and of that number also the persons are
stinted, as some ten, some twelve, &c. Next unto him which bare the sceptre, was the king
himself, with his guard about his person, clad with coney8 skins, and other skins. After
them followed the naked common sort of people, every one having his face painted, some
with white, some with black, and other colours, and having in their hands one thing or
another for a present. Not so much as their children, but they also brought their presents.
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Our necessary business being ended, our General with his company travelled up into
the country to their villages, where we found herds of deer by a thousand in a company,
being most large, and fat of body. We found the whole country to be a warren of a strange
kind of coneys; their bodies in bigness as be the Barbary9 coneys, their heads as the heads
of ours, the feet of a want, 10 and the tail of a rat, being of great length. Under her chin is on
either side a bag, into the which she gathereth her meat, when she hath filled her belly
abroad. The people eat their bodies, and make great account of their skins, for their king's
coat was made of them. Our General called this country Nova Albion,11 and that for two
causes; the one in respect of the white banks and cliffs, which lie towards the sea, and the
other, because it might have some affinity with our country in name, which sometime was
so called. There is no part of earth here to be taken up, wherein there is not some probable
show of gold or silver.
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It seemeth that the Spaniards hitherto had never been in this part of the country,
neither did ever discover the land by many degrees to the southwards of this place.
Weave or comb.
Rabbit.
9 Northwest African coast.
10 Mole.
11 Albion is another name for the British Isles.
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